Are you looking for the best chicken breed for your small farm, backyard, or homestead? One of these breeds is likely to be the perfect choice!

In this article, you'll learn the origins and characteristics of five of the most popular and versatile dual-purpose birds available today.

There are hundreds of chicken breeds out there, from gamecocks first domesticated millennia ago to high-production industrial cross-breeds developed less than ten years ago, and choosing from this embarrassment of riches is one of the most fun parts of starting a backyard chicken flock.

First-time chicken keepers are often focused on chickens that lay lots of eggs as the best measure of a good homesteading breed. But there's a lot more to the story than that. Hardiness, meat production, size, temperament, and broodiness can all affect a breed's suitability for your farm and family.

Some homesteaders may also be invested in finding a heritage or endangered breed to preserve as a piece of living history. The breeds on this list tick all of these boxes and more, so read on to find the perfect bird for your homestead.  

Starting with baby chicks? Here's everything you need to know.

Australorp

The Australorp currently holds the world record for most eggs laid by a hen in a single year (364!), but there's a lot more to this Australian beauty than her (admittedly impressive) egg-laying skills. The name "Australorp" gives a pretty good clue as to the breed's origins.

It was originally bred down under as an Australian version of the Orpington, a popular English layer. The modern-day Australorp is smaller and more productive than the Orpington, which has been pushed away from production into being more of a show breed.